For the fourth successive year, BS Canoe club volunteers staged a "Come and Try Canoeing" event on the Stort between Station Road Bridge and Causeway/Hockerill Bridge.

We were once again blessed with warm sunny weather, so it was no surprise that the event proved as popular as usual. A record number of people took to the water in the club's stable one-person kayaks and in large open canoes operated by coaches and assistants. Most of the 170 participants were junior-school age children, but some mums and dads had a go too.

A long queue had built up before the first timed tickets were issued and continued unabated until the very last one had been sold.

It was sad to have to disappoint some people who arrived half-way through to discover that they had already "missed the boat", but no more could be expected from the coaches and club volunteers. In addition to working non-stop for the three and half hours that the public were on the water, they had also had to bring all the equipment from the club's premises and return it to storage at the end.

A total of £880 was generated, with all the proceeds going to Grove Cottage (home of Bishops Stortford Mencap).

Well done to coaches Jacque, Dave, Fred, Malcolm and Ken, and their assistants Siobhan, Catherine, David, Will, Yasmin, Jessica, Judith, Angela and Pat - as well as the ever-patient Buster!